Seven lakes down, 9,993 left to paddle

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Canoeing around the lakes of Minnesota gives you the chance to spot black bears and grey wolvesAlamy

Joanna Walters

Published at 12:01AM, April 30 2011

The best way to see black bears and bald eagles in the wilds of Minnesota is by canoe, even if you have to carry it between lakes

Imagine hiking with a dining table on your head. That’s a little what carrying
a canoe above you feels like on a lake-hopping expedition. The state of
Minnesota’s motto is “land of 10,000 lakes”, and when you take a glance at a
map of its northeastern wilderness area it looks as if it has been hit with
paint guns spattering only two colours across thousands of square miles —
blue and green.

The last town up there before you hit Canada is a lovely, rustic old
lumberjack and outdoorsman place called Ely. It has become a real draw for
canoeists heading